1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to digital image data processing; and, more particularly, it relates to digital image printing.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional digital image printing systems, in that they commonly employ parallel image data processing to image data throughout the digital image printing system, inherently require a significant dedication of real estate within its integrated circuitry. For example, for a digital image printing system that can accommodate a wide variety of image data having varying data sizes. Within digital image printing system that perform mechanical operations such as ink jet printer nozzle movement and translation, the processing circuitry of the digital image printing system may be left idle while during the performance of the mechanical operations. The time inherently required to execute the mechanical steps, when compared with the time required to perform digital image data processing using modern processors, is relatively long. Digital image data processing circuitry is often left idle due to the large time mismatches between the various component electrical and mechanical response times.
Another undesirable characteristic in digital image printing system that employ parallel processing is the large amount of real estate within an integrated circuit that must be dedicated to accommodate the parallel processing circuitry for a variety of functions. This large dedication of integrated circuitry real estate is undesirable, especially for those digital image data processing functions whose processing circuitry remains idle during the performance of mechanical operations within the digital image printing system. Additionally, the cost of integrated circuitry is undesirably increased as more and more silicon is used to perform all image data processing functions in a parallel processing manner. This large dedication of parallel processing circuitry, for each of the possible digital image printing systems in which the image processing circuitry may be installed, greatly increases the size, and therefore the cost, of an integrated circuit used to perform these image data processing functions, as described above.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional systems will become apparent to one of skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.